What He'd Do For Them
by lynn138
Summary: Sequel to What He'd Do For You. Set years in the future, everything seems to be running smoothly for Danny, Sam, and their son. But what happens when Sam begins to disappear? Physically? Can Danny and Daemyn save her, or will Daemyn have to save the day?
1. Chapter 1

_As promised, here is the sequel to the story, What He'd Do For You. This is just an introductory chapter designed to explain some things that have changed in the past years. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as you did in the first one. ...I'm still tweaking the storyline, hoping that it will be as good as WHDFU._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or any of its characters. I do own one of the characters in the chapter. So bug off. _

* * *

Tucker Foley sat at his work desk, trying to fix a customer's computer. It was the last one before his lunch break that started at noon, which was fifteen minutes away. It looked like the computer had undergone more than the average human could bear. Tucker could've sworn he saw dirt, mustard, oil, nail polish, and just about everything he could imagine stuck or dried to the sides of the motherboard.

Sweet relief came as the phone next to him rang. "Hello, you've reached Foley's Technical Fix-ups. This is Tucker speaking, how can I-"

Danny's voice cut the man off before he could finish the habitual greeting. "Tucker! I need your help!"

Tucker immediately sprung to attention. "What's going on Danny?"

His friend's voice crackled, revealing Danny was using his cell phone. "I need you to step outside. Skulker's on my tail, and at this moment, I can't really do anything to shake him."

"Danny, do you have-"

"Yes, right here in my arms. Please get out here now!"

"I'll be outside my office in a moment," Tucker immediately slammed the phone back on his desk and then rushed out of his office. He scurried out the door to his building and immediately spotted his friend crashing down, a trail of smoke behind him. Right before the halfa hit the ground, he tossed Tucker a small bundle. Luckily, the techno-geek had successfully worked on his reflexes and caught it with grace.

Danny, on the other hand, didn't land in Tuckers arms, but straight on a fire hydrant. Reluctantly he sat up and rubbed his head. "I did NOT need this today."

Tucker glared at his best friend. "Dude, I ought to bust you for child endangerment."

"Bill me later," Danny replied, looking to the sky and meeting Skulkers glare. "Right now, I'm going to send this guy back to the ghost zone."

Danny burst into the air to meet Skulker, and Tucker shook his head. Alot had changed since the last time he had told Danny about child endangerment. First off, 10 years had passed and they had almost grown up. ...almost. They were still the best of friends and hung out often. Tucker and Danny seemed much like the same teenagers they had been in some old photographs, minus physical changes. Danny had sprouted up to 6 foot, and had a small gotee. Tucker had decided to start wearing contacts, and had grown about an inch shorter than his friend.

Secondly, Danny was married. To Sam. Big shock, huh? Tucker often remarked about how he should collect on some old bets he had made before Sam and Danny started dating. And just as often, Danny and Sam would find some way to torment him to the point where he cut the jokes.

Thirdly, everyone had a job. Tucker worked at his electronics store, which fit him perfectly. Danny worked part-time at the planetarium at the edge of Amity Park, and part-time with Tucker. Sam was an activist who had quickly become one of the more popular people in Amity Park, and was about to release a book about the enviornment.

The most suprising change Tucker held carefully in his arms. Extremely worried, he gently peeled back the tiny layers of a blue blanket.

The tech sighed as two light blue orbs lit up in the face of Danny and Sam's first son, Daemyn. The child had a tuff of black hair on his small head, and a perfect nose. In the opinion of everyone who saw the child, he seemed to look more like his father. One of the few resemblences of his mother was a small DP logo above his heart.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Dae-my-boy!" Tucker smiled. "Silly Da-da, taking you mid-air. He knows ghosts can attack at anytime."

The child of six months just stared at Tucker and gave his "Uncle" Tucker a goofy grin.

Tucker looked up just in time to see Danny finish sucking Skulker into the Fenton Thermos. Wiping off sweat from his brow, he floated back down to Tucker, and after making sure that no one was watching, transformed into Danny Fenton. "Thanks Tucker."

"What was the rush Danny? You seemed overly panicked." Tucker handed Daemyn back to his father.

"My kid and I were being hunted by the guy who wants my pelt on his wall. Why do you think I was panicking?" Danny glanced at his black watch. "Oh man, Sam is going to KILL me!"

Tucker gave a smug look, "Late for something...something important?"

Danny immediately changed back into Phantom and began to take to the skies. "I forgot Daemyn is having his baby pictures taken today! Bye Tucker! See you for dinner tonight!"

Tucker grinned as his friend raced off to his late appointment. Knowing Sam, she was probably already there, trying to assure the photographer that the child would be there momentarily. After the pictures, they would go home, freshen up, and then meet Tucker for dinner. Tucker was curious about going, because Sam had hinted that there would be someone there she wanted him to meet. He bet that it was a girl. Sam had been trying to hook him up for the past five years. He had probably met over fifty different girls, all supposedly "his type." Ha. He wondered if he even HAD a type.

Maybe he'd find out tonight.

Maybe she was cute.

And like berets...

Yeah, tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

And here we are, with the official first chapter where the main character is introduced. : ) YAY!

Anyway, sorry I haven't been able to get this up. Two words: Summer Homework...

Which I still haven't finished, so I'll get back to it while you read the chapter. And review, because we all know how nice that is : )

Lynn-over and out.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Danny Phantom. I only own the ones that do not appear in the show but appear below. **

* * *

Did you ever have one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong? Where nothing went your way? You know what I'm talking about, those days where the clouds would not go away.

Today was one of those days for me. Everything went crazy from the sunrise to sunset. Well, maybe a little past sunrise, and a bit past sunset.

"DAEMYN! WAKE UP! You're going to be late for school!"

By the way, my name is Daemyn. I'm pretty much a younger version of my Dad when he was fourteen (which, I can say, I proudly am the same age). I have his hair, eyes, and ears…everything, except for his fashion sense. I like the color green, so my shirt always has some form of green on it.

And the person yelling? That was my mother. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother to death- on second thought, not the right word. I love my mother to pieces, but this morning, I pulled one of the signature teenage moves: I ignored her.

Bad idea on my half. My dad is a big promoter of respect. And by ignoring Mom, I disrespected her. So i shouldn't have been a surprise to me when a pair of cold hands lifted me from bed, phased me through a wall and tossed me in a cold shower.

Like I said: I shouldn't have been surprised.

"WAH!" I shouted, sitting up in the bathtub. "What was that for Dad?" The freezing water of the shower pelted at my face. "Really, if you thought I smelt that bad, you could've asked me to shower!"

Dad let out a small grin as he floated above me.

That's right. _Floated._

My dad isn't like most dads. I mean, unless you dad is half-dead and able to transition between human and specter at a moments notice, I think I've got you beat. I suppose it's not fair to compare my dad with anyone else's though…not everyone's dad is a superhero who fights crime daily and has saved the world on multiple counts.

Pretty cool, huh? My dad is Danny Phantom (you might have known him once as "Inviso-bill" or the Ghost Boy). He can fly, shoot beams, and go intangible and invisible. He even has this scream thing where he emits destructive soundwaves out his mouth! How cool is that?

I guess it's pretty tight….as long as you're not the enemy, which it looked like I had a good chance at becoming at the moment.

"Your smell, huh?" Dad pretended to sniff the air. "All I smell is a kid who's going to get in trouble if he doesn't get a move on for school and apologize to his mother before he leaves."

"Yes sir," I weakly managed. He gave me a goofy grin and floated out of the room.

To be honest, I think I got off that rather easily. Sometimes Dad will ground me from everything if I'm really bad…but that's only a few times. Like, when I used one of Grandpa Fenton's ghost shields to keep him in his room on April Fool's Day. I learned one very important lesson that day: Dad likes pranks, just not when they're pulled on him.

I stepped out of the shower, a drenched boy. So, to add to my growing 'bad day' list, I had woken up late, trouble with Dad, and drenching wet. Splendid. Just splendid.

I decided to hurry and get ready, hoping the rest of the day wouldn't be so bad. I rushed out of the bathroom and back into my own room, which was littered with dirty clothes on the floor. Mom would probably have a tizzy if she walked into my room like this…

…that wasn't important, I realized as I looked at the clock. School started in five minutes! The only way I would be able to get there is if Dad flew me there. Annoyed with the day's events, I grabbed my cell phone and shoved it in my pocket (I had slept in my clothes…which was lucky because otherwise I'd be going to school in pajamas). Then I hastily snatched my blue backpack and slung it over my shoulder.

When I ran into the kitchen, I ran straight into my mother. We collided, and both went sprawling to the floor.

"Daemyn, are you okay?" she asked as she brushed some of her black hair out of her amethyst eyes.

"I'm fine Mom. Sorry about knocking you over…I'm a bit late for school…"

"That's okay sport," Mom stood up, brushed herself off and then handed me a sack from the counter. "I anticipated this. Here's breakfast in a bag."

"What's in it?" I asked carefully.

"Just some orange juice, an apple, and some carrots to give you a healthy start." Mom was always doing that to me. Every meal she'd try to make vegetarian. I'm all for saving the animals, but sometimes all you need for dinner is a nice, juicy steak.

"Er, thanks Mom," I said, handling the sack like it was hazardous. "By the way, sorry for ignoring you earlier."

Mom smiled and gave me a slight kiss on the cheek. "It's okay hun, I just didn't want you to be late."

"Don't worry Mom, I won't be. I'll have Dad fly me there," I smiled and gave her a hug. My arms wrapped around out of her view, and in the middle of the embrace, I threw the bag in a conveniently located trashcan.

As we pulled apart, Mom said, "Honey, your Dad has already left for work."

I'm sure the color drained from my face.

"WHAT?" I yelled out of shock. "How am I getting to school?!"

Mom picked up her keys from the counter, "I'll take you. C'mon, and don't forget your shoes!"

Of course. Just like Mom to think I'd forget my shoes. Reluctantly, I piled in our little Expedition with her, glaring sourly out the window.

My day so far:

waking up late

trouble with Dad

drenched

no breakfast

late to school

I know every cloud has a silver lining, but I was seriously beginning to wonder why it was taking its time appearing.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Casper High. I bid goodbye to Mom and ran up the steps to my home room. Sadly, before I could take two steps in the hallway, I heard a booming voice behind me.

"Well, if it isn't the little Fen-turnino. Late again?"

Cringing, I turned around, and saw none other than Brian Baxter, otherwise known as BB. He was a tall jock with spiky blonde hair. And he was a bully.

Just like his dad, Dash Baxter, was my father's bully.

I really hate how these things turn out. Dash gets married to some chick from Tenessee, they have a kid, she leaves him for a circus man, and Brain wants to take it out on anyone smaller than him.

(-ahem- That would be me. )

To cut the story short, it took ten more minutes to get out of the locker I had been randomly shoved in. And then it took three minutes to get to class due to an aching foot.

When I finally walked in the doorway to my homeroom, I finally saw my silver lining: Clarisa White. The angel of this unworthy land we call Earth. My light in the darkness. A cup of soup in the winter. Hot chocolate next to the fire. The only girl for me…

If only every other boy hadn't thought among those same lines, maybe I would have a chance with her. Sadly, being the most popular girl in school, there was a lot of competition.

"Mr. Fenton?" a voice asked. "Will you please take a seat?"

I forced myself to look away from Clarisa and to my teacher: Mr. Lancer. Yeah, big surprise there. The guy's been teaching forever and a day. You'd think he'd get over the thrill of having "young minds to shape and mold."

"Will you please retire?" I said under my breath. Of course, when I say 'under my breath,' that meant he wasn't supposed to hear it…

…but he did. As did the entire class along with him.

"Lord of the Rings! Mr. Fenton, that was uncalled for!" Lancer frowned. "See me in detention after school."

I managed to mumble some sort of 'yes sir' to him and then trudged my way to my desk in the back of the class.

"Oh, and Mr. Fenton? Do you mind mopping up your mess after class?"

What was he talking abo-oh drat. I turned around and saw big puddles of water where I had walked. I had never changed out of my wet clothes!

The class burst out laughing, and my face went beet red. Muttering something else that I won't repeat, I sat down and hid my head from the class.

Slept in, trouble with Dad, drenched, late to school, no breakfast, trouble with BB, and dripping all over the room.

There was NO way this day could get any worse.

Mr. Lancer turned to the class. "Could you please pass up your homework from last night on the Savannah Indians?"

Crud. I hadn't done my homework.


	3. Chapter 3

_And with that long wait, I am back!!! Sorry about the long wait. One word: School. And I'm even putting it off now to finish this. I hope you like it! _

_Thanks to my reviewers. You bring the honey to this little worker bee's life. : )_

_I had a question about the point of view the story was in. It will mostly remain in Daemyn's point of view, and occasionally switch to third person when necessary. That won't be until a later chatper, of course, seeing as there are still people to introduce. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Sam or the show and its characters, but I do own every other character in this chapter. Bug off. _

* * *

It seemed like forever had passed before I made it to lunch. The worst part was that the day wasn't even halfway over yet.

Mumbling to myself about how unfair the world was, I pushed my way through the cafeteria crowd until the table I sat at came into view. Sitting down, I reached for my backpack to pull out my lunch. ...except that I hadn't packed a lunch this morning. And I had no money on me to buy lunch (as BB had bittersweetly discovered earlier). I groaned and banged my head upon the table a few times in an attempt to relieve the stress. It didn't work. Not only did I still feel stressed out, but now I had a bruise between my eyes...and a pounding headache.

"Hey there sport, having a bad day?" I looked up and saw Kendra Foley grinnig sympathetically down at me.

"Bad is the understatment of the year."

"Don't worry. If you've hit rock bottom, things can only go up." She sat down across from me with perfect grace. Yeah, that was Kendra for you. Glowing brown skin, chocolate eyes and a perfect poise. I think she might have taken ballet when she was little...I'm not sure how well Uncle Tucker liked the practices cutting into his father/daughter/computer time. Then again, she might have learned it before she was adopted by the Foleys at age five. You know, before her parents were killed in a car accident on a fateful, rainy night. Sometimes Kendra complains about the cliche of her parents dying in a car. She's very imaginative, and sometimes wishes they died more heroic deaths. That's just Kendra.

"I hope so," I groaned.

Her arm dug into her backpack for something. "Apple?"

"You're the best," I sighed, accepting the fruit from her outstretched hand. "That's probably the best thing that's happened to me today."

"An apple is the best thing that's happened to you?" A new voice interrupted. "That's lame."

"Not as lame as your hat, Fitter," Kendra grumbled. "I thought Mom told you not to wear that today."

A girl with short and curly blue hair sat next to me, a bright green beret on her head. She passed an innocent look to her sister. "I don't remember her saying that..."

Kendra groaned, "Of course you don't, you had your headphones in the entire morning, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged!" Fitter smiled, and turned to me. Her soft gray eyes giggled as she looked at my apple. "So, that little red object is the cause of so much joy?"

"This 'little red object'," I pointedly began to explain, "...is the only nutrition I have received today."

Fitter gave a small chuckle and dumped her brown bag of lunch upon the table. Out spilled a drink, sandwhich, chips, cookies and a brownie. My mouth watered as she handed me the brownie.

"Could this little brown object make your day better too?"

And at that moment, all the bad things about the day fell behind me. These girls were the best friends I think I could ever have. Sometimes, I wonder at how fate put us together. I mean, Kendra and Fitter were both adopted by the Foleys and are the same age. Kendra is probably the more academic of the two and will probably end up going to Harvard, or, if my Aunt Jazz gets her way, Yale. Fitter on the other hand is very different. Her skin is so pale it makes me look like a sunburned piece of chalk. She has gray eyes that glisten like the grass with the morning dew shining in the daybreak. The one thing that sticks out about her though is her fashion sense. She's all about designing her own clothes and stuff. Last Christmas she made me this cool blue beanie. Said something about it "matching" my eyes.

Kendra gaving a knowing smile after Fitter said that, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because Fitter stumbled over her words.

I eagerly accepted the brownie, which I ate before the apple. In regards to Kendra's dirty look, I replied, "Life is uncertain; eat dessert first."

"Are we still going to the Nasty Burger tonight?" Fitter asked as she opened her chips.

"And to the movies afterwards," I confirmed. Dead Teachers XXIV came out yesterday and we were all looking forward to sitting in the front row. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Hopefully I won't have to if Fitter decides to finish her homework!"

"I will finish it! It always gets done!"

"Yeah, five minutes before class starts."

"That's still done!"

Yeah, those were my friends. Arguing about everything, but sisters at heart. I watched them continue their conversation. They seemed so passionate about what they were discussing, even though it was only homework. Kendra seemed smug, but Fitter...the way the light was hitting her eyes, she seemed to radiate a passionate beaut-

What am I thinking? That's my friend...

My thoughts were interrupted by a warm glow the spread throughout my chest. Without looking, I knew that the DP symbol over my heart was glowing, which meant Dad was thinking about me. I took a bite of my apple and pondered about how nice it is to know that a family member thinks about you even when you're not there.

Before I could think of anything else, the right wall of the cafeteria exploded. In fell none other than Danny Phantom, locked in fierce combat with the Lunch Lady and her daughter, Box Lunch.

There were screams from my classmates as the student body evacuated the soon-to-be battle zone.

"See Deary," the Lunch Lady instructed the girl. "This is how you hit him and create dramatic tension by throwing him through a wall."

Kendra, Fitter and I were soon the only students remaining in the cafeteria. Having lived with my Dad, Mom, and Uncle Tucker for years, none of us were really frightened by ghosts.

"Lunch Lady?" Fitter asked.

"And Box Lunch," I added.

Kendra took out a PDA her father gave her. "About a level 4 danger level. I think it's safe to stay."

The three of us grinned. My gaze turned to Dad, who seemed to be searching for something. Our eyes locked.

Ah, he was looking for me. He was thinking of me because he knew he was about to crash into the cafeteria and didn't want the wall to fall on me. Darn, and I thought I was just special.

Shaking it off, I watched mildly as Dad quickly finished the fight and sucked the ghost and her daughter into a Fenton Thermos. There was a satisfied grin on his face as he locked the cap on.

"Nice job Phantom!" Fitter shouted to him. Dad flew over to us, and from the look on his face, he was very relieved we were all okay.

"Thanks Fit," he smiled. His emerald eyes turned slightly harder. "But on the other hand, why didn't you guys leave when the fight began! You could've been hurt!"

And that was Dad for you. Hero, funny, kick-behind moves, and all he could think of was why we didn't want to watch his amazing battles.

"It's cool Dad," I told him.

"No, it's not Daemyn. Being around ghosts isn't a safe thing to do." He was chastising me! First he threw me into the shower, and now he's scolding me.

"If being around ghosts isn't safe, then we should leave. Shouldn't we Phantom?" Kendra pointed out, a smile on her face.

Dad thought about it, and his face relaxed. "I guess you guys are right. You do have some Fenton weapons on you, correct?"

I pointed to my Spector Deflector, and the girls pulled out their Fenton lipsticks. "We're plenty safe," Fitter assured him.

"Good," Phantom replied. "Those should be able to hold a ghost off until I can make it here. They work well enough."

I nodded in agreement, but on the inside I felt bad. Like I had let him down.

See, we once thought that Dad's ghost powers were hereditary. That they would be passed down to me and I could help Danny Phantom fight ghosts. Dad-son tag team. Growing up, Dad and I always talked about how we would be invincible. No one would be able to stop me and Dad. There was only one problem: I never received ghost powers. Not a bit. We've even drawn some blood to see if I had any ecto-plasm in my veins. Nothing.

That's one reason why Dad is really protective of us. He knows that if a ghost attacks us, I can't just "go-ghost" and protect everyone, like he used to. We have to defend ourselves. I can't leave the house without at least a Spector Deflector or a weapon.

While I dwelled upon those thoughts, Dad's cell phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hi Sam. What's happening? ...what do you mean, it faded in and out? Hands don't do that, well, unless you're me at age fourteen...don't worry, I'll be there soon...nah, just had a tumble with the Lunch Lady at Casper..yes, Daemyn's okay...it's happening again! Okay! I'll be right there! I love you, bye!"

A sinking feeling grew in my stomach as Dad hung up. "What happened to Mom?"

"Her hand is disappearing."

...and thus, the bad day resumed.

* * *

_Sam's hand...disappearing? Oh whatever could I have in store for you and Daemyn and Danny? _

_Hint: At least five reviews and you might find out. : ) _


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the next chapter!!! Thanks to all those who reviewed and will be named in the next chapter because I'm writing this way too late for myself to actually comprehend what I am doing.

Disclaimer: I don't own DP or it's characters.

_

* * *

_

_"Her hand is disappearing..."_

Twenty minutes later, Dad had signed me out of school and we both back at home with Mom. Dad was examining her hand with some ecto-device and Mom was staring worridly at it, hoping it wouldn't disappear.

Me? Yeah, I was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the T.V.

Maybe that's not as supportive as anyone would have liked me to be, but I wasn't our resident ghost expert. That fell under Dad's category. Besides, murder was much more interesting than Mom's disappearing hand.

Which, by the way, I still hadn't seen. Once we picked her up (Dad's way, by flight) I stared at it, wondering if my mother had somehow inherited ghost powers. Would she have inherited them though, or could they be passed in...other ways? Nevertheless, her hand had stopped disappearing and everyone seemed to be fussing over nothing.

"Is it tingly?" Dad asked.

"No..."

"Does it feel numb?"

"Not at all."

"Can you move your fingers?"

"Of course!"

I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath, "Can you rub your belly and pat your head?"

The tingly feeling of the DP sign over my heart appeared again. I really need to work on muttering under my breath. This would be the SECOND time today that I wasn't quiet enough.

Both of my parents sent me a glare. It had that eerie timing Uncle Tucker would sometimes describe when he told me stories about how Mom and Dad would shout, "WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS!" (My little side note on Mom and Dad's actions: Look where the denial got them: married with a kid. Moral? Don't be in denial. It won't work out for you.)

"Sorry," I held up my hands, dropping the remote. "You're just sounding ridiculous, that's all."

"Does a week's worth of groundation sound ridiculous?"

I hate it when Dad pulls out little quips like that. I'll bet he gets it from all of his ghost hunting. He does have to instantly come up with a witty comeback everytime the villian says a cheesy line that's just asking for a burn. I guess it's just a reflex now.

I was about to protest when not only did Mom's arm disappear, but so did her entire upper body.

"Sam!" Dad cried, forgetting about me and turning his attention back to Mom. (Tingly feeling gone...typical.) "What happened? ...Daemyn! I can't feel her hand!" (And the feeling was back.)

True it was. It seemed as if only the lower half of my mother was present in the room.

If you ever think that you've seen something scary, let me assure you that there is nothing more nerve wrecking than seeing half of your mom sitting on a chair while your father is in shock. I'm not sure how much therapy I would need when was all over.

Ten minutes of constant pacing, frantic phone calls to Uncle Tucker and Dad's face paling later, Mom appeared again. She seemed thuroughly exhausted and immediately collapsed into Dad's grateful arms.

Relieved as I was, I felt scared to death. Mom had opened her eyes for a moment, and I saw something I never wanted to see again. My mother's violet eyes radiated a cold, lifeless look that froze me to the core. When she awoke a few minutes later, they were back to normal.

But for that one second, an army of doubt entered my mind regarding the future.

Uncle Tucker arrived for support, along with Fitter and Kendra. The three of us immediately headed to my room and discussed what was happening.

Our questions were mainly who, how, and why. Kendra quickly scanned our database on ghosts. As far as we could tell, no ghost had any powers that would make Mom's matter completely disappear. And as far as we knew, no ghost would really try to attack her anyway. If you messed with the wife of Danny Phantom, you could pretty much consider yourself dead.

Compare it to the fate of someone who had decided to steal the Box Ghost's boxes. Or the Lunch Lady's cookies.

One word: DOOM.

My main concern, beside the fact that I could lose my mother at any moment, was this: Could it happen to me?


	5. Chapter 5

and...I'M BACK!!

Enjoy the filler/set-up for the next chapter. Hopefully things will begin to move at a faster pace now. So read, review.

Disclaimer: I don't own DP and it's characters. I do own Daemyn, Fitter, and Kendra. Back off.

* * *

The next morning I woke up exhausted. Well, in truth I never went to sleep. See, I was still worrying about me disappearing. The image of Mom's haunted eyes plagued my mind throughout the night, forcing me to check every inch of my body to make sure nothing had happened.

What if it happened to me? What if I disappeared?

And what happens if I didn't return?

These thoughts raced through my mind as I truged down the stairs to the kitchen. As I pulled out a chair to sit on, I checked my hands to make sure they were still intact.

Fitter walked into the room and stared at me. "Daemyn, dude. You don't look like you slept a bit." She took the seat next to me, waiting for an anwer. Her gray eyes searched mine, making me shift in my chair. How come I'm not nervous when Kendra does that?

Said girl entered the room at that moment. "G'morning." She headed straight for the pantry and helped herself to a bowl of cereal. She took the seat across from me. "Um, Daemyn, no offense, but you could scare the dead with that face."

Next thing I knew, Dad stood behind me. "Hey Daemyn, Tucker and I are-BOY! What happened to your face?" He kneeled next to me and gently outlined the dark circles upon my face with his weathered hands.

Did I really look THAT tired? "Nothing's wrong Dad. I just didn't sleep well."

Uncle Tucker laughed loudly in the other room. "Right Dae, that's what Danny used to tell his parents after a long night of ghost-hunting."

Great. Now Dad probably thought I was hiding some "ghost powers" from him. That would lead to an interrogation. And provoking me to see if I would transform. After hours of this, Dad would be disappointed in me AGAIN because we couldn't be the Dad-Son tag team. He would sulk for the rest of the day while trying to hide it from me.

"Daemyn, you don't have-"

"NO DAD! I DON'T!" I shouted, suprising even myself with the volume of the shout. I winced and quieted. "I'm just...worried about Mom."

A cloud fell over the room and everyone's eyes shifted away from me. Dad looked...well, he suddenly looked alsmost as tired as I felt. His eyes, usually radiating life, now seemed to be a dulled grey. "Me too, Daemyn. I'm worried too."

An awkward silence ensued. Fitter figeted and Kendra focused on her cereal. I felt the guilt and depression sink in again and I slouched further down in my chair. Yesterday had been the worst day of my life, last night had been the worst night of my life, and here I go making it another gloomy day. Maybe I needed to sit down and have one of those "talks" Aunt Jazz has been bugging me about.

I was trying to recall her number when Dad left the room and headed to the basement. Uncle Tucker started after him, but mid-step he changed his mind.

"I'll go check on Sam..."

Fitter, Kendra and I didn't move for a few minutes. I guess we were all just trying to take in the situation. My mom, I mean, my _Mom _sick. Or something like it. And she was disappearing. None of us could come up with any logical reason, and that made it harder.

Without speaking, both of the girls rose and wrapped their arms around me. Normally, I would back away and give some sarcastic quip, but not today. I let their warm embrace soothe me, and a moment later I felt myself relax. We could get through this. Nothing could stop us. Not when we were together.

* * *

[Switching to Third Person

Danny frowned sadly as he stood before the Ghost Portal. The eerie green glow cast the only light on the cold lab. Should he enter?

Of course he should. That's where his answers lay. That's where he could find out how to save Sam from whatever was happening to her.

But were they answers he wanted to hear?

He ran his hands through his white-hair. What would happen if Clockwork told him Sam wasn't supposed to...live? Could he handle that?

With tears forming at the edge of his vision, Danny floated into the mysterious realm before him.

* * *

Clockwork sighed as he watched the halfa fly determinely towards his lair. He had forseen this, of course, but the confrontation would not make him the least bit happier. He would have to tell the man something neither of them wanted to hear. But he had to. A mistake had been made years earlier; a mistake that needed to be fixed. Whatever it took to make the change, that's what would have to happen.

He changed from an older ghost to a picture-perfect form of a young child. Within ten minutes, two hearts would be shattered and the timeline would be set in a new direction.

After all, that was the way things were meant to be.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

(Daemyn's POV) 

"Okay, it's obvious that this..." Kendra glanced to her sister. "...disease?"

Fitter shrugged and pulled a blue strand out of her face. "For now, I guess. Until we discover what exactly is happening."

"This disease is not normal. There are no cases of disappearing limbs anywhere in world," Kendra picked up some papers on a desk and shuffled through them. "Unless you count magic shows, that is. Some guy named "Magic Mitch" has made over 50 arms and legs disappear. Unlike our case though, his volunteers go home in one piece."

Not that it was going too well, but our trio had retreated to my room in hopes to once again come up with a solution. Kendra sat on my rolling chair by my desk, Fitter was on the windowsill, and I lay on the bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. When I was little, Mom and Dad had painted it black with yellow and white stars. Dad, not being the best painter in the world had accidentally smudged one of them, but ask him and he'll call it a shooting star. A tuft of black tickled my nose and I brushed the defiant strand away. "Great. Let's call him and see if he can help Mom."

"Did you hear that Kendra? I do believe that was sarcasm just now! Dae's feeling better," Fitter grinned at me. In a way, she was right. I didn't feel as glum, thanks to Dad's temporary absense. Not to mention these sisters couldn't leave a sulking kid alone if he PAID them to.

Kendra looked up at her sister and relayed disapproval through her eyes. "Fit. Serious moment."

"...sorry."

"S'okay," the girl returned to her papers. "Nothing's conclusive...maybe if we took a DNA sample, I could figure out what-"

Suddenly, a loud shout burst from my parent's bedroom. "NO! SAM!"

Like lightening I was by Uncle Tucker's side. "What happened? What's wrong?"

He was running his hands all along the bed, frantically searching for something. "NO! Come back!" His eyes darted back and forth over the black sheets. On the ground was his PDA, and I picked it up. He didn't even look at it as his hands flew spider-like over the green comforter.

My stomach dropped, and the breakfast I had had an hour ago threatened to reapper. "Unlce Tucker...where's Mom?"

He froze at the sound of my voice. Without looking at my face, he shook his head.

"Gone."

The girls walked in and instantly realized what had taken place. Fitter placed a hand on my shoulder and Kendra fell into her father's arms. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel. Heck, I didn't know if I still existed, because my reality had just thrown itself out the window. Mom was...gone. She could still come back, right? Like she had before? And this time, we'd take her to Grandma and Grandpa Fenton's house to see if they could detect any ectoplasmic residues. That would tell us the ghost that did this and then Dad could beat the crud out of the guy and we could live together as a family agian.

A warm sensation radiated from my chest. Dad was back from his sulk in the lab. Wait-

Dad.

Who was going to tell Dad?

Before I could raise the question, he appeared at the doorway. Through tears, I sensed immediately that something was different. His usually confident posture looked defeated. Instead of leaning jockishly on the frame, his stance gave the idea that he didn't really want to enter the room; he didn't want to accept what had happened there.

"Dad, Mom-"

"I know Daemyn. I know."

Silence.

"What are we going to do?"

"Not now, son."

What did he mean, not now? If not now, when? Mom had just disappeared, and he acted like...like...he couldn't do anything about it.

My Dad is Danny Phantom. There isn't anything in the world he can't do! Well, besides passing Geometry, but that's nothing. Alot of people don't pass geometry. Including me. Seriously, what's all this stuff with pie? Pie is clearly meant to be eaten, not multiplied and divided to find a radian...although, if someone wanted to multiply the amount of pie we had in the fridge, then we could divide and share it, that'd be fine by me.

Point is, Dad's one of the most powerful people on the planet, if not _the_ most powerful person on the planet. He should be able to do something!

Azul eyes met, and with a shock, I realized he couldn't do anything about it.

"Daemyn, why don't you and Fit and Kendra step out of the room? I...I need to talk to Tucker alone."

We shut the door on our way out, but that doesn't mean we left.

Kendra turned the knob shut. "Eavesdrop?"

"Of course," Fitter whispered as we bent low to the ground. Kendra took the spot on top, I took the middle, and Fitter took bottom. I balanced myself by placing a hand on Fit's shoulder. The warmth of her body flooded through me, and I almost jerked my hand away from the cause of flucuating hormones.

Wait-not the right time to think about that.

Mom disappeared, Tucker was a basket case, and Dad was about to spill something big. It was time to keep quiet.

* * *

(Third Person POV) 

After the teenagers walked out, Danny sighed deeply and sat in the spot that his wife had been in moments earlier. His mind was jumbled, and not only because the love of his life had vanished into thin air.

"Did you talk to him?" Tucker asked solemnly. His eyes refused to look up from the bed as emotions rapidly churned through him.

Danny studied his friend, looking for a way to relay what he had been told. "I talked to him."

"And?"

The silence dragged on for minutes, neither really wanted to know the answer. It was obviously one neither wanted to hear. The unexplainable had occured, an event beyond humans, ghosts, or the realm of time and space. Something defied the very physics of life and they sat alone in silence wondering how.

"He knew I was coming," Danny started off, a sad ring in his voice.

_It was eeriely quiet as Danny softly landed before the Tower of Time. Although there was usually a lack of noise, it seemed as if Father Time himself was holding his breath as he watched the man walk to the door. But Danny didn't notice; his mind was set on one thing, and there was one person who had the answers. It wasn't his father, no. Despite the few great moments Jack Fenton received in his life, there was no way that the aging man would be able to spot anything abnormal. Even his mother, the one who actually had the Ph.D., wouldn't be able to give finite answers. _

_But Clockwork, the ghost who knew everything that had/ was/ and would happen, he was the one to go to for answers. _

_Danny Phantom drifted through the gears and clocks that decorated Clockwork's lair until he entered the main chambers where the ghost stood in front of three very different screens. One showed a picture from Danny's high school days, one of his numerous encounters with his old English teacher, Mr. Lancer. The middle showed the present, and reflected the room. The final one flickered away before Danny could fully comphrend its picture. He could've sworn he saw Daemyn and the girls doing something...with a pineapple._

_A pineapple? _

_Danny realigned his thoughts as he landed behind the Master of Time. "Clockwork. I need to ask-"_

_"I know why you're here, Danny Phantom. I know everything." The old form in front of the halfa switched to a smaller and younger figure. _

_Danny's eyes glowed brighter. "What's going on? Why is Sam disappearing without warning? How is that possible? Which ghost do we need to save the world from this time? Will it strike anyone else?" _

_A sigh emitted from Clockwork as he patiently waited for his ward to finish with the laundry list of questions. He didn't want to answer Danny. The man wouldn't like the answer he was about to receive. _

_But receive it, he must. _

_"I know you don't want to hear this, but it is the truth. There is nothing you can do to help your wife."_

_Danny's emotions churned angrily within him. "Clockwork! I don't care how powerful this ghost is, I will do anything to stop this!" _

_Clockwork turned to face him and engimatic red eyes glared at Danny. "You can't do anything. This occurence isn't caused by any single ghost. Although it may pain you to hear, that's all I can tell you about it."_

_No. No way. Danny did not come to Time's door to be denied the answers he desperately longed for. He clenched his fists. "That's not fair. I can't sit by and watch while my wife vanishes before me! I won't let her die!"_

_"'Til death do us part' has nothing to do with your situation," Clockwork said. "Everything is the way it should be." _

_"Are you kidding me? Everything is NOT the way that it should be! MY WIFE IS-"_

_"I'm aware of your wife's condition! But let me assure you that there is not one thing you can do for her at this time. You have more important things to be worrying about."_

_"What could be more important than Sam right now?" Danny asked, infuriated. This was not the answer he wanted to hear. This was not what he had come for. _

_"You. Your health and safety in this time. Daemyn. Your son whose world is about the change drastically." _

_"But Daemyn isn't the cause of this! Clockwork!" Tears formed in his eyes and he fell to his knees. "Just tell me what I can do." _

_"Go home."_

_"How is that supposed to-"_

_"The future may not be set in stone, but if you continue down the path that you are on, I cannot promise you'll like the end result. Go home. Go home for Sam."_

_Teeth clenched and eyes burning, Danny Phantom stood up. "Fine...for Sam." He turned to leave. _

_"Danny."_

_Phantom rose into the air and mutely turned to face the ghost._

_"A word of warning, because I don't want you to go through any more pain than necessary: when you get back, she's not going to be there." _

_Danny's eyes widened, and a small gasp echoed throughout the room. Instantly he bolted out and raced towards home. _

_Clockwork's gaze followed his until the black-and-white blur faded from sight._

_ "After all, that is the way things are meant to be."

* * *

d_un Dun DUN! 

Could Clockwork be anymore concealing? 5 reviews to find out why : )


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, look. It's an update! Dang, my third updated story in one night. And the first since...February. Dang. smacks self I need to pick up the pace. Alright then. : ) Read on while I decide what to do.

* * *

(Daemyn's POV)

Back in my room, Kendra, Fitter and I began to discuss Clockwork's message. Clearly something was going to happen that was big. But too big for Dad to handle? That was so unlikely that even I found myself questioning the ghost's sanity.

"Nothing abnormal is happening in the ghost zone," Kendra said as she poured over readings on her PDA. "In fact, everything is strangely...quiet."

"Quiet as in 'the calm before the storm'?" I asked, peering over her shoulder. No use though, I couldn't decifer the myriad of numbers if my life depended on it. Kendra is my life-saver in math. If there's ever a confusing number or problem I don't understand, she's my go-to girl who can clear my (often) befuddled mind.

"Or quiet as in 'shut up, the principle just walked in the room'?" Fitter added.

"No, neither of those," Kendra gave a small chuckle. "It's just a relatively calm quiet."

Fitter looked confused. "As in what?"

"As in, 'I'm tired and don't feel like talking' quiet."

"Oh."

We sat there in silence for a moment, no one quiet sure of what to say.

Fitter suddenly sat up from her position on the floor. "Dae, wasn't odd that Clockwork mentioned you?"

"No. Why would it be? He was trying to convince my dad to come home. If I were in that mental state, it would have been hard to get me to leave too." Seriously, when I want answers, I'm as stubborn as my mom is...was...no, as she is. I'm not willing to accept she's gone forever.

Kendra mulled it over. "Now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd. Uncle Danny really doesn't have anything more important to worry about at the moment besides Aunt Sam's disappearence. And, no offense Daemyn, but I wouldn't be worrying about my kid if the love of my life just vanished off the face of the earth."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh. They were reading too far into Clockwork's message. "So I'm supposedly special now?"

"Well, yeah," Kendra shrugged. "He did say something about your life taking a drastic turn."

Fitter and I both became quiet. I'm not sure what her reason was, but I had completely forgotten about that part. Clockwork had mentioned that, but I'm sure he was just talking about Mom disappearing completely. Losing a parent is tramatic. I may not be showing it very well, but that's because I think I'm still in the first stage of grief: denial. Mom's not really gone forever. We just have to find a way to bring her back, and everything will be okay. We can go back to living day by day, and maybe this time I'll start eating some of the vegetables she makes for me.

Maybe.

On second thought...no promises.

Kendra coughed quietly, jarring Fitter and I out of our thoughts. "Maybe we should go and ask him."

Fitter's face lit up, and I could see her thinking out the situation and liking the results. Oh, no. We were NOT heading into the ghost zone. Phantom's only kid, defenseless, and wandering around in enemy territory while he was busy mourning his wife?

Could anyone else say, 'bad idea'?

"No way," I scoffed, moving to my bed. "Dad just asked him. Do you really think that he'd tell us something he wouldn't tell Danny Phantom, most powerful ghost in the Zone?"

The sisters both stared at me with hopeful looks.

"But...we don't even know where Clockwork's lair is!"

Kendra whirled to face the computer again, quickly pulling a very detailed map of the Ghost Zone onto the monitor. "Now we do."

Wait a second, where the heck did she get that from? Any map or ecto-related item was immediately hidden, and files untraceable. Uncle Tucker had designed the firewalls himself, giving Dad nothing but the best software and security-

Oh, right. Tucker Foley. His daughter would know how to bypass those, wouldn't she?

"Please tell me you didn't just hack the FentonWorks files," I moaned.

Kendra blushed guiltily. "Technically, you are a Fenton, and we need them, so it's perfectly qualified. I'm not really hacking into anything. Think of it as...unlocking doors I have access too."

Great. This girl was going to kill me someday.

"Please do it, Dae," Fitter's gray eyes pleaded with me. "Clockwork said that something was about to happen in your life, and we simply want to help you through it. Maybe he could just give us a little hint about what's going down so that we can prepare. It never hurts to prepare, right?"

"Besides," Kendra agreed. "It could happen at any time, so the faster we leave to talk to him, the more time we'll have."

I rubbed my forehead. There was no stopping the Foley girls once they decided something. But someone had to try."Fitter, Kendra, I really don't think that we should-"

A loud shout interrupted my couterarguement, and I felt my stomach sinking. The three of us ran from my room and down the hall. Not sure what to expect, we bust into my parent's room, expecting the worse.

"Dad?"

Tucker sat on the bed, eyes wide and red from shedding tears. But his expression is what clued us in. Horrified, his eyes were glued to the slowly disappearing form of Daniel Fenton. The man look translucent and extremely pale. His arms had disappeared, and an invisible cloak was being thrown over him from the waist up. His eyes were wide with panic. I could tell he was trying to say something, but his voice had failed him.

But that's not what made my breath stop.

Dad wasn't in front of me, where he had been standing moments ago. We were slowly watching what was left of him, his reflection, fade away in the closet mirror.

My throat closed, and a unnerving feeling spread throughout my body. Perhaps it was just me, but the room suddenly spiked in temperature. Beads of sweat appeared on my face. I began to hyperventalate.

"Clockwork was right," I whispered. Unbelievable. Dad...DAD WAS GONE!

Kendra's unsteady voice filled the room. "Still think it's a bad idea?"

There was no noise as we loaded up the Spector Speeder in the Fenton Work's lab. Stealthily we grabbed every ghost weapon and defense we could find among Grandpa Jack's old equipment. The green glow of the ghost zone set a solem mood. On top of the tension I'm sure Kendra and Fitter felt radiating off of me, it had to be rather uncomfortable for them.

But that didn't matter. My dad was gone. My father. Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom was missing. And now I had to find him.

This responsibility has never fallen on me before. I'm not the one with the powers, that's Dad. I'm not the one with the ability to persuade large crowds into protest and reform, that's Mom. But what I am is an emotionally unstable teenager with a deep sense of family ties. I know what family means, and I didn't learn it from Lilo and Stitch. Family is everything. Family is worth dying for. My dad risks his life every day for us. Responsibility. Does it feel this heavy for everyone?

Hastily, I threw my luggage in the back of the Speeder and hopped in the driver's seat. As I buckled in, Kendra and Fitter exchanged worried glances.

"Dae?" Fitter asked, placing a hand unsteadily on my shoulder. "I realize this is an unqualified moment for asking if you're okay, but...you're starting to scare us."

Kendra shared her sister's nervous look. "Your expression is too hard, and, well, should one of us drive?"

Ha. Like I would let that happen.

Not with everything at stake.

"I'm not okay. My family just disappeared. I don't know if I'm next, but I've decided I'm going to figure out what the heck is going on before I have to be." I turned the key and the ignition roared. Slowly we started off into the realm of the dead. Hade's lair.

"And I'm going to find those answers. No matter what it takes."

Yikes, what does Daemyn have in store for Clockwork? Better question, what does Clockwork have in store for Daemyn? Answers to some of the biggest questions and the biggest suprise next chapter.

But that's only three reviews away. Yeah, I feel bad for not updating. So it's three reviews, not five. -smacks self- Go ahead, tell me what you think. I love hearing opinions. Even if it's all flame, I guess. (Although, if it is flame, I can't promise I won't laugh at you.)


	8. Chapter 8

Frozen wastelands.

Jagged purple mountains.

Floating graveyards.

And lots and lots of random doors.

The initial rage and terror that consumed me had worn off an hour earlier, and I slumped exhausted in the middle seat of the Specter Speeder. Kara sat in the driver's seat to his left and Fitter mulled over the map on my left. The suppressing quiet didn't do much to ease my nerves, but it did give me a chance to muddle through his situation.

Mom disappeared. Dad disappeared. Connection? Husband and wife, of course. The lived in the same house and ate the same food. Could it have been a contamination in the food? No. I would have vanished as well. Could there have been a childhood connection? Nah, that couldn't be it either. Tucker still resided in FentonWorks, recovering from the shock of watching his best friend in life disappear.

Kendra proved her smarts by leaving a note before they left. If Tucker had snapped out of his daze to find his children and me missing as well, the poor man might've had a heart attack.

There had to be some connection, and I knew it. If only I could peg it!

Fitter's voice softly shattered the silence. "It should be behind that purple rock."

Thoughts aside, I looked with more interest out of the windshield. Looming behind the giant rock stood the largest structure I had ever seen. Numerous dials and gears framed the initial doors, and a myriad of mechanics decorated the exterior of the foreboding building. Leaving the Specter Speeder on a pavement near the iron entrance, our trio idly waited for a response to their knock on the door.

We didn't wait long.

Without warning, the door swung open, permitting us entrance inside.

"Do we just walk in?" Kendra asked tentatively, inspecting the empty hallway.

Shoving my nervousness down, I took the first step in. Nothing terrible happened. "I suppose so." Suddenly a green wisp of a cloud-like form dashed in front of me. I jumped back and grabbed Fitter's hand, frightened. All three of us held our breaths as it disappeared into the air. Okay, so maybe jerking back wasn't the manliest thing to do when surrounded by two girls, but this was unchartered territory, alright?

Kendra raised an eyebrow at my reaction. "I think I'll take the lead." She moved ahead, and Fitter and I shared a glance before continuing. Alright, and maybe holding Fitter's hand while walking wasn't manly either...but my mind wasn't focused on that.

It was focused on the cloaked figure that appeared ten yards away.

The rage that I had buried earlier returned with a newfound passion. Releasing Fit's hand, I jerked forward and glared at the one who knew my problem without having to say a word. He knew what I was going to ask, and the answer I would receive. He knew my reaction. He knew the steps I would take to get my family back.

"Clockwork," I growled. All he had to do was tell me exactly what needed to happen and everything would be okay. We could all go back to our normal lives, happy and such.

The ghost shrank.

"Daemyn!" Kendra shushed in front of me. "That's not how you address Clockwork!"

"Seriously!" her sister agreed. "Not the right way to get the guy to help you."

I gritted my teeth. Didn't they understand? Didn't they see that all he had to do was open his mouth and-

"Your friends are wise, young one." Clockwork's voice echoed loudly across the room, startling us. He turned halfway, and I met his piercing gaze. "Calm yourself, and we will get to business."

I was calm. "Where are my parents? What happened to them? Why didn't you tell Dad how to save her?"

"Like father, like son," the now older ghost replied, chuckling to himself.

"Don't laugh! Tell me what's going on!"

Kendra stepped forward, passing me a pleading look. "Clockwork, what he means to say is that we're all worried about Uncle Danny and Aunt Sam. And none of us think that this is the way the present was supposed to occur. But only you know that for sure." She paused, waiting for a reaction.

"I am." Clockwork affirmed.

Well, thanks for the obvious, Mr. Ego.

"And you are correct; this was not the intended way for the timeline to pan out."

Finally! Fitter shot me a hopeful look, and I managed to nod in agreement.

"And yet, it is the best way. All contributing factors, players, and events best result from the occurrences that appear in this version of the future."

Say what?

"What are you talking about? My parents are GONE and I don't know how to get them back." I shouted, my face turning red.

The ghost suddenly appeared right next to me, and I glimpsed the everlasting timepiece within his cloak. "Daemyn! Do not test my patience. I haven't the time for it. And neither do you, if you want to see your parents again."

I drew a breath and waited until my heart-rate lowered before meeting his eyes. He searched them for a moment, and I felt as if time paused and the ghost perceived every emotion that passed through me.

"Better," he nodded, agreeing with himself. "Now, you come seeking advice and a solution to your problem."

Three heads nodded in agreement.

"There is a problem-" -thank you again, Mr. Obvious- "-but it is not one within your power to fix at this moment."

No. I wouldn't accept that. I opened my mouth to tell him just that when he continued.

"It involves the past."

Oh, that made sense....why didn't he just say that in the first place?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let me show you." The ghost turned towards a giant circle that stood erect in the center of the room. Without warning, an image flickered on the screen. If, within the past twenty-four hours I had not lost both of my parents, what Clockwork showed me would have shaken me to my core.

In this current reality, it only penetrated my skin and caused shivers to roll up my spine.

_The dust lingered dramatically for a moment, and then disappeared. _

_All that remained was the tattered and limp form of Danny Fenton._

_"Oh! Danny! Please, NO!" Jazz cried out. She jumped off of the bleachers and ran towards the body of her brother. Upon reaching it, she found a bloody and derranged mess. His hair was a chalky color, matter with blood. His arms were ridden with dirt and had become raw with the constant beating it had undergone._

_Tucker stared silently at his friend, his eyes brimming with tears. "I can't believe it. After all we've gone through..."_

_Danni flew down from the sky and stood next to Tucker, tears trickling down her face. "Cousin..."_

_Reluctantly, Jazz turned Danny over, praying that he would stir and say something. Anything. "Please Danny, wake up." Nothing. His eyes remained cold, lifeless, and unmoving. The shining blue orbs she had always protected were gone. No more._

Clockwork was showing me my Dad's death.

And the one who murdered him...

...my mother.

-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-0-0-

_"Do you have any respect for the dead?" Tucker yelled at Sam as she landed next to them. "You just took my best friend from me and now you dare to show your face here?" His fists curled into balls. "How could you do it Sam? He freakin' __loved you__, for crying aloud! Do you know what he went through to save you? What all of us went through? We battled EVERY SINGLE GHOST IN THE GHOST ZONE just to rescue you and how do you repay us? You KILL the one who loved you?"_

_"I know Tucker," Sam whispered, a tremor in her voice._

_"Then what are you doing here?" Jazz asked. Her eyes bore threateningly through Sam's pale face._

_"I..I.." Tears began to form at the edge of her eyes. "...I think I know how to bring him back."_

_The blood of everyone on the field froze as they stared at her._

_"What do you mean?" Jazz eyed Sam carefully._

_Quietly, she turned towards Danny. Sam kneeled down next to him, and placed her hands over his heart. Within her mind, she summond a power that had been hidden in her mind for the past few days. A power she had never wanted to use. Without hesitation, she now grasped it and willed it to the surface._

_Tucker gasped as Sam began to glow a soft purple. What was she doing?_

_"She's regathering their essences," Danni stated, confounded._

_"What?" Jazz asked, wiping a tear from her eye._

_"Essence, like the soul," Danni explained. "She's...well, it's complicated to explain. A ghost is the soul of a departed person that has taken on an image. Everytime a ghost touches something, or someone, a bit of their essence stays behind."_

_"So what does that have to do with anything?" Tucker asked._

_"Well," Danni thought for a moment. "When Danny died, his ghost should have appeared. It didn't, which reveals that he somehow didn't have one left...Sam is summoning it all back at the moment." Danni paused as she thought about it. "It's amazing that she's able to do this."_

_"Why?" Jazz asked._

_"Not all ghosts can withstand the amount of energy it takes to summon the essence of someone 's why it's never been done before..." Danni looked at Sam in awe. "Astounding..."_

_The trio watched as beautiful sparklets of purple surrounded Danny and Sam in a sphere-like form. It began to glow._

_"Hey, what's that Danni?" Tucker pointed off to the distance where blue specks similar to the purple had appeared._

_"Say what?" Danni spouted out, staring between the blue and purple sphere. "No way! That's impossible!"_

_"What is?" Jazz asked, staring intently at her brother's clone. "Is something going wrong?"_

_"It's incomprehendable!"_

_"What is?" Tucker echoed._

_"THERE'S NO WAY!"_

_Jazz and Tucker began to yell in unison, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"_

_Danni looked bewildered, "I think I made a mistake...the BLUE sparklets are Danny's essence, which means the purple's are..."_

_"Sam's?" Tucker guessed. Danni's silent nod confirmed it._

_The blue essence began gathering with the purple essence, and they shimmered as they danced in the sphere._

_"I'm not sure how to essences will react to um, mixing, like they are..." Danni said concerningly... "They might..." Suddenly the area filled with a blinding with light, emitting from the sphere. Tucker put his hands over his eyes, as did Jazz and Danni. A whining noise filled the air as all the surrounding particles began to vibrate, causing an intense force to shimmer around the tearful group._

_---------------------------------_

_They had waited for minutes until they could see clearly, then rushed to the side of the perfectly healed Danny, who had been blinking, rather confused._

_"Am I dead?" were the first words that had come out of the boy's mouth. Jazz and Tucker had laughed through tears and hugged him until he was forced to use the universal choking sign to prove he WOULD be dead if they didn't let go._

_After celebrating he was alive, they realized Sam had disappeared. After a very dedicated hunt, they found her pounding on a door, demanding to be let out of the room she was locked in. Sam and Danny had immediately embraced, both very much human._

_--_00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00

I knew the story. I'd heard it several times over from my father. Of course, he could only tell of it when Mom wasn't around. It still hurt her to this day to think that after all of the crime-fighting, encounters with Walker and Skulker, defeats of Vlad, and the ever-annoying presence of the Box Ghost, she was the one who ultimately killed Danny Phantom.

Sometimes, well, a lot of the times, Uncle Tucker added in details. Only when I complained that Dad couldn't finish the story. He felt like Mom, only helpless because there was nothing he could do.

One way or another though, the story had ingrained itself into my heart. I still bore the tell-tale DP logo everywhere I went.

"Why did you show that to me?" I asked, confused.

"So you could understand what went wrong," the Master of Time answered.

"I don't get it..." Fitter stated with a confused look on her face.

"Oh no...." We both turned to Kendra, whose face was frozen in shock. "It was the essences. Danni mentioned the trick had never been used before! Something went wrong with the essences, didn't it?"

* * *

After a long grueling couple months of work in school and fighting through the tide and rut that is life, I have succeeded in bringing another chapter forth! ...I won't lie, the reviews brought me back to keep strolling on this story. Thanks to everyone who helped dig me out of the grave. Keep reviewing, I've learned it works. : )

~Lynn


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